Beast, oh beast.
Night had fallen, and the stars glittered brilliantly overhead. The cave was spacious; twelve people occupied it without the slightest sense of crowding, and Qin Xiaofan had claimed for himself a massive stone at its center—a throne of sorts, set apart from the others.
After a day’s toil, everyone finally lay down to rest. Yet Qin Xiaofan could not quiet his worries about tomorrow’s food. Such burdens were the leader’s to bear; after all, if you couldn’t provide a meal, who would follow you?
He checked the system and found that he needed another hundred points to unlock the food marketplace. If all went well, tomorrow would see it open. Qin Xiaofan made his calculations silently.
Gradually, night deepened. Drowsiness overcame him, and he closed his eyes.
He dreamed—a strange, vivid dream.
Colors swirled, dazzling. A young girl approached, enveloped in a faint, alluring fragrance. Before him, she shed her clothes.
She was beautiful.
Oddly, two slender antennae, each ten centimeters long, protruded from her forehead.
Her red lips moved. Her gaze, seductive and enchanting, seemed to steal one's very soul.
She nestled into Qin Xiaofan’s arms, her voice a siren’s call, repeating a single phrase endlessly at his ear—
“Tell me…”
“Tell me…”
…
He jolted awake, sitting upright.
He felt the surge of his own emotions and fell into contemplation. He’d had dreams of passion before, but this one felt too real. And the object of his desire was the quirky girl with the antennae.
He glanced toward the side of the cave.
His gaze settled on the antennae girl.
She lay on her side atop a stone, her slim waist exposed due to the heat, her snowy skin on display.
Inexplicably, his heart stirred. Dark thoughts rose, uncontrolled and intense.
The sky was still dark.
Qin Xiaofan quietly slipped out of the cave, heading to the lake. He dove beneath the surface.
The icy water shocked his senses, finally subduing the wicked thoughts.
“Ah, it seems I’ve been single for too long…” Qin Xiaofan mused by the lakeside.
They say what occupies the mind by day appears in dreams by night. Yet the strange thing was, Qin Xiaofan had never entertained any thoughts about the antennae girl; he didn’t even know her name.
Dreams—so elusive, so inscrutable!
The sky remained shrouded in night. Qin Xiaofan, seizing the opportunity, set about making another half-bucket of “Water of Civilization.”
The same recipe, the same taste.
He took utmost care, confirming repeatedly that no one was following or watching him, and chose a most concealed spot for the process.
As dawn finally broke, Qin Xiaofan returned to the cave carrying his half-bucket of Water of Civilization.
At the cave entrance, he was surprised to find the antennae girl stretching and hopping about, radiating a youthful energy.
Titanium Eye scanned her—
Name: Mengyao. Gender: Female. Ability level: Unknown. Danger level: Unknown.
Qin Xiaofan frowned. It was the first time Titanium Eye had returned an “unknown” result; he wondered if it was malfunctioning.
At that moment, Mengyao noticed Qin Xiaofan.
She looked at the bamboo bucket and exclaimed with delight, “Wonderful! I thought this liquid would be difficult to make, but you managed it so quickly. You’re amazing, Boss!”
She bounced happily, her voice lively and joyful, her expression like that of a carefree child.
Recalling last night’s dream, Qin Xiaofan felt like a brute.
He coughed lightly, averting his gaze as if to hide his guilty conscience.
The girl misunderstood his reaction and hurriedly said, “Ah… Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Mengyao, nineteen years old. My ability is the two antennae on my forehead—they can connect to the network. It’s a C-level ability.”
“Connect to the network?” Qin Xiaofan was surprised.
Such an ability would be akin to a smart brain in a civilized era, but in this world without a network, it was useless.
Suddenly, a thought struck Qin Xiaofan.
Titanium Eye drew from the database of the ability era.
If it could not find Mengyao’s information, could it be that she had hacked the database before petrification and erased her own records?
…
Once everyone woke, Qin Xiaofan distributed the Water of Civilization.
He divided it into four portions, because reviving four more people would complete the “Revive Ten Humans” quest, and the reward points would unlock the food marketplace.
For safety, he split them into pairs.
Qin Xiaofan arranged four routes based on the statues’ locations, ensuring they could find the one-striped statues.
The remaining people were tasked by Xiaoyan with felling trees to build a wooden cabin.
No one objected; all silently obeyed Qin Xiaofan’s instructions. After all, the bald fellow’s miserable state was a warning—he had yet to recover.
Watching them leave, Qin Xiaofan took a deep breath.
Now, all he could do was wait.
Wait for the quest to be completed, wait for the food marketplace to unlock.
“Ding: Ten points earned.”
At noon, the system finally chimed.
That meant one human had successfully been revived.
Soon after, three more point notifications sounded.
In his mind, the system’s voice rang out—
“Congratulations, host, for completing the ‘Revive Ten Humans’ quest!”
“Reward: 1,000 points.”
“Reward: Nano Vest.”
Qin Xiaofan’s heart raced; he cared little for the quest rewards and immediately opened the points marketplace.
As expected!
The food marketplace was unlocked.
He opened it and was stunned by what he saw.
Wheat seeds: 100 points per 100 grams.
Corn seeds: 100 points per 100 grams.
Soybean seeds: 100 points per 100 grams.
…
Besides seeds, there were saplings for fruit trees—apple, pear, peach—each priced from 100 to 300 points.
Qin Xiaofan nearly wept at the revelation.
He had assumed the food marketplace would offer ready-to-eat items; instead, it was all plant seeds and saplings. What was he supposed to do?
The tools marketplace had only farming implements, and the food marketplace was filled with seeds and saplings.
This was… truly the dawn of an agricultural society.
Suddenly, the system’s voice sounded—
“Host’s activation of the food marketplace detected. Civilization Revival Quest: Land Reclamation initiated.”
“Land Reclamation: Create a wheat field.”
Qin Xiaofan hurriedly checked the system.
Host: Qin Xiaofan
Level: C-level ability user
Ability: Lightning (Level 1)
Skill: Palm Thunder
Equipment: Pig slaughtering knife, Titanium Eye, Detection Radar, Nano Vest
Points: 3,940
Main Quest: Revive twenty humans (0/20)
Side Quest: Create a wheat field
Qin Xiaofan was silent for a long time, finally accepting the reality. It was clear that busy days awaited.
Only now did he have the leisure to inspect his quest reward.
Nano Vest—
A high-tech product, outwardly indistinguishable from an ordinary vest, but possessing exceptional strength. Wearing it greatly enhances one’s defense.
Qin Xiaofan’s eyes lit up and he put it on immediately.
A cool sensation enveloped him; the vest was transparent, clinging to his skin as though fused to his body.
At this moment, the group began returning, bringing four new faces.
Two men, two women.
Titanium Eye scanned them: one C-level ability user, three D-level ability users.
A trace of surprise flickered in Qin Xiaofan’s eyes, for when he examined the C-level ability user, Titanium Eye gave him a warning—
Danger level: High!